The pericardial sinuses are impressions in the pericardial sac formed between the points where great vessels enter it.
| Pericardial sinus | |
|---|---|
 Posterior wall of the pericardial sac, showing the lines of reflection of the serous pericardium on the great vessels. (Transverse sinus labeled at center. Oblique sinus not labeled, but visible inferior to transverse sinus between the right and left pulmonary veins) | |
| Identifiers | |
| TA98 | A12.1.07.001 |
| TA2 | 3349 |
| FMA | 77132 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
There are three pericardial sinuses: superior, transverse and oblique. [1]
During pericardial effusion, fluid may build up in the pericardial sinuses. [3] This may be diagnosed with transoesophageal echocardiography. [3]
The aorta is the main and largest artery in the human body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and extending down to the abdomen, where it splits into two smaller arteries. The aorta distributes oxygenated blood to all parts of the body through the systemic circulation.
A heart valve is a one-way valve that normally allows blood to flow in only one direction through the heart. The four valves are commonly represented in a mammalian heart that determines the pathway of blood flow through the heart. A heart valve opens or closes incumbent on differential blood pressure on each side.
The pericardium, also called pericardial sac, is a double-walled sac containing the heart and the roots of the great vessels. It has two layers, an outer layer made of strong connective tissue, and an inner layer made of serous membrane. It encloses the pericardial cavity, which contains pericardial fluid, and defines the middle mediastinum. It separates the heart from interference of other structures, protects its against infection and blunt trauma, and lubricates the heart's movements.
In human anatomy, the subclavian arteries are paired major arteries of the upper thorax, below the clavicle. They receive blood from the aortic arch. The left subclavian artery supplies blood to the left arm and the right subclavian artery supplies blood to the right arm, with some branches supplying the head and thorax. On the left side of the body, the subclavian comes directly off the aortic arch, while on the right side it arises from the relatively short brachiocephalic artery when it bifurcates into the subclavian and the right common carotid artery.
A pulmonary artery is an artery in the pulmonary circulation that carries deoxygenated blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs. The largest pulmonary artery is the main pulmonary artery or pulmonary trunk from the heart, and the smallest ones are the arterioles, which lead to the capillaries that surround the pulmonary alveoli.
dextro-Transposition of the great arteries, is a potentially life-threatening birth defect in the large arteries of the heart. The primary arteries are transposed.
An aortic sinus, also known as a sinus of Valsalva, is one of the anatomic dilations of the ascending aorta, which occurs just above the aortic valve. These widenings are between the wall of the aorta and each of the three cusps of the aortic valve.
The mediastinum is the central compartment of the thoracic cavity surrounded by loose connective tissue, as an undelineated region that contains a group of structures within the thorax. The mediastinum contains the heart and its vessels, the esophagus, the trachea, the phrenic and cardiac nerves, the thoracic duct, the thymus and the lymph nodes of the central chest.
The coeliacartery, also known as the coeliac trunk, or truncus coeliacus, is the first major branch of the abdominal aorta. It is about 1.25 cm in length. Branching from the aorta at thoracic vertebra 12 (T12) in humans, it is one of three anterior/ midline branches of the abdominal aorta.
In human anatomy, the bronchial arteries supply the lungs with nutrition and oxygenated blood. Although there is much variation, there are usually two bronchial arteries that run to the left lung, and one to the right lung.
The coronary sinus is a collection of veins joined together to form a large vessel that collects blood from the heart muscle (myocardium). It delivers less-oxygenated blood to the right atrium, as do the superior and inferior venae cavae. It is present in all mammals, including humans.
The small cardiac vein, also known as the right coronary vein, is a coronary vein that drains the right atrium and right ventricle of the heart. Despite its size, it is one of the major drainage vessels for the heart.
The middle cardiac vein commences at the apex of the heart; ascends in the posterior longitudinal sulcus, and ends in the coronary sinus near its right extremity.
The retromandibular vein is a major vein of the face.
The vitelline veins are veins that drain blood from the yolk sac and the gut tube during gestation.
The coronary sulcus is a groove on the surface of the heart that separates the atria from the ventricles. The structure contains the trunks of the nutrient vessels of the heart, and is deficient in front, where it is crossed by the root of the pulmonary trunk. On the posterior surface of the heart, the coronary sulcus contains the coronary sinus.
Pericardiectomy is the surgical removal of part or most of the pericardium. This operation is most commonly used to relieve constrictive pericarditis, or to remove a pericardium that is calcified and fibrous. It may also be used for severe or recurrent cases of pericardial effusion. Post-operative outcomes and mortality are significantly impacted by the disease it is used to treat.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to human anatomy:
Heart development refers to the prenatal development of the heart. This begins with the formation of two endocardial tubes which merge to form the tubular heart, also called the primitive heart tube. The heart is the first functional organ in vertebrate embryos, and in the human, beats spontaneously by week 4 of development.
Heart is a muscular organ sited in the mediastinum. It consist of four chambers, four valves, arteries, and the conduction system. Heart functionally can be separated in left and right side. Right heart receives blood coming from the body through superior and inferior vena cava. It pumps blood to the lungs through the pulmonary artery and left heart receives saturated blood from the lungs.
This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 526 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)
